Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Six Nations 2014: Surprise Stars Who Must Maintain Momentum
However, that platform has a flip side, providing some of the competition's lesser-known participants with an opportunity to impress on Europe's biggest stages in the Northern Hemisphere's premier international contest.
Read on for a breakdown of those names whom some may not have thought would star quite so brightly but have gripped the opportunity afforded to them and controlled it with relative comfort two weeks into the campaign.
Chris Henry, Ireland
With Sean O'Brien currently absent through injury, there was some concern over who would plug the void left at open-side in Joe Schmidt's squad.
Luckily, Ulster's Chris Henry has been a force all on his own, arguably one of the best players of the tournament thus far and holding a very astute account of his own talents on the flank.
In fact, we'll revise that talk of O'Brien's injury, given what Rugby World's Charlie Morgan had to say about Henry's great graft:
The breakdown tactician has been a bother to every side he's come up against, making a collective 21 tackles in his two games against Scotland and Wales, not to mention scoring the first try of his team's 26-3 thumping of the reigning champions.
Luther Burrell, England
Regardless of how reliable he might be on the club scale with Northampton Saints, Luther Burrell nonetheless had an air of enigma about him coming into this year's Six Nations.
With no previous international experience to speak of, England's centre conundrum could have easily continued were Burrell the latest to crumble under the weight of a national team jersey, but it's been far from the case.
Scoring on his debut, a 26-24 loss at the Stade de France, the 26-year-old got off to a flying start under Stuart Lancaster, only made to look even better by the fact that he followed that up with another important try against Week 2 opponents Scotland.
If England are to indeed salvage any attempts at challenging for 2014's Six Nations title, Burrell could be the most vital part of their chain, his well-timed lines and fluid passing currently keeping the team afloat.
Michele Campagnaro, Italy
Admittedly, Michele Campagnaro is included on this list almost entirely due to a rampaging display in Week 1 against the Welsh, but what a thrilling performance it was from the 20-year-old.
Clocking up more than 100 carrying metres and scoring two tries in his first Six Nations appearance, Campagnaro was a marvel at the Millennium Stadium, of which ex-England centre Will Greenwood certainly took note:
If the Azzurri are to have any hope of changing their fortunes, which currently see them yet to claim a point in the competition, Jacques Brunel will need all his aspiring starlets up to the task of their more senior adversaries.
Campagnaro has already shown that despite his age, he's well able to tussle with the bruising veterans of the continent, even if a 30-10 thrashing at the hands of France in Week 2 speaks somewhat more negatively of his impact.
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Monday, February 10, 2014
Olympic Speedskating 2014: Full Projections for Sport's Biggest Stars
One day after the opening ceremony, on Feb. 8, the first race (men's 5,000 meters) took place at Adler Arena, with Dutch skaters sweeping the podium. 14 days later, on Feb. 22, the men's and women's team pursuits will close out the action, with 12 medal events in total throughout the two-week bonanza.
Athletes from all across the globe will compete in these Games, and the pressure to perform at their best will be intense.
“I definitely think there’s going to be pressure,” U.S. Olympian Heather Richardson said, as noted by the Associated Press, via The Columbus Dispatch. “I’ve just got to remember to take deep breaths and have fun. That’s when I skate my best.”
Here's a look at what to expect from the top speedskating stars at the 2014 Winter Games.
Shani Davis, USA
Koji Sasahara/Associated Press
Shani Davis is the biggest star on a loaded U.S. team that could make some serious waves at Sochi. The 31-year-old Olympics veteran will be attempting to earn a three-peat in the men's 1,000-meter race after winning gold in 2006 and 2010.
He's also going to be competing in the 1,500-meter race—an event he's finished in second place the past two Winter Games.
Davis is still extremely driven to succeed, despite his past success.
"Anytime I step out on the ice and I put my hood on, I have something to prove," he said, as relayed by Paul Newberry of the Associated Press, via the Evanston Review. "It's not easy. These guys are getting stronger and stronger."
With younger skaters like Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands and Zbigniew Brodka of Poland coming on strong in recent years, Davis will need to bring his A-game to Sochi if he wants to continue building his legacy as an all-time great.
Projections: Davis will once again claim gold in the 1,000-meter race, and he'll win bronze in the 1,500-meter race.
Martina Sablikova, Czech Republic
You know you're a star when people start calling you, "The queen of skating."
This is the moniker Czech superstar Martina Sablikova earned after winning double-gold in the women's 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter races during the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.
She won the gold in the 5,000-meter race at the Sochi World Championships in 2013, which was her sixth straight world title in the event, as NBC's Amanda Doyle pointed out:
Sablikova also won a silver in the 3,000-meter race during those championships, and she'll be favored to finish on the podium in both races during the Winter Games.
At this point, it seems the only thing that could slow her down in her favored 5,000-meter race is her own health, which caused some problems in 2013, as detailed by Reuters, via NBCOlympics.com:
Last year her back caused her problems while a groin injury was to blame for her last placed finish in the 1500m World Cup event in Salt Lake City in November.
Sablikova says she feels 'good now', though, and results have confirmed that theory. She leads the 3,000m/5,000m World Cup standings after three wins in four events this year.
Projections: Sablikova will win gold again in the 5,000-meter race and silver in the 3,000-meter race.
Heather Richardson, USA
Heather Richardson of the United States is the biggest challenger to Canada's Christine Nesbitt, who has seen her status as the top women's star in the 1,000-meter race diminish in the past year or so.
In fact, Richardson's biggest competition could come from her own team, as Brittany Bowe will push her to the limit. The two American stars are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the World Cup standings for the 1,000-meter race, with Richardson holding down the top spot.
She spoke about the benefit of having a top competitor for a teammate recently, via The Columbus Dispatch:
We’re teammates, friends, competitors and roommates. It’s really special to have one of the fastest, if not the fastest, girl in the world on my team, working with me day in and day out. We’re really lucky to have each other.
Richardson will compete in three races—the 500-meter sprint, the 1,000-meter and the 1,500-meter races. She's the favorite to win the 1,000-meter and should finish on the podium in the 500-meter, but it will be surprising if she medals in the longer race.
Projections: Richardson will win bronze in the 500-meter sprint, gold in the 1,000 meters and will finish off the podium in the 1,500-meter race.
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Saturday, February 8, 2014
Fantasy Premier League 2014 Week 25: Projections for Top EPL Stars
Big Games, Big Players
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Friday, February 7, 2014
2013-14 Grades for New York Rangers Stars Ahead of the Olympic Break
They are on a roll right now, and they are getting big performances from some key players.
Now that the Olympic break is almost upon us, it's time to look at the performance of the Rangers' stars during the 2013-14 season.
Get your pencils out, it's grading time. Read on to find out what grade the Rangers' stars get.
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Thursday, February 6, 2014
Cristiano Ronaldo's Absence Will Benefit Multiple Real Madrid Stars
Thanks to his off-the-ball shove on Athletic captain Carlos Gurpegi, Ronaldo now faces three games on the sidelines.
The 2013 Ballon d'Or victor is very clearly a key part of this Real Madrid make-up, but there are those who may not be as a glum as others to see the talismanic presence sit some time out while he serves suspension.
With one eye cast on the club's upcoming schedule, we imagine exactly which players stand to benefit somewhat from Ronaldo's absence over the next couple of weeks.
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Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Melbourne Stars vs. Hobart Hurricanes, BBL Semi: Highlights, Scorecard, Report
It was a huge upset—the Stars were overwhelming favourites having come into the match on the back of eight wins from eight in the group stages, while Hobart had managed just three victories.
But despite losing the toss, the Hurricanes began superbly to restrict Melbourne with the ball to a modest total of 141 for eight from their 20 overs, a total which would have been still lower but for a rescue act from Brad Hodge.
And in response they batted aggressively, with Tim Paine and George Bailey helping them safely to the total.
They await the winners of Sydney Sixers vs. Perth Scorchers in the second semi-final on Wednesday.
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